Thermal bandaids: a generalization of the molecular zipper model

Abstract

This article introduces a two-dimensional ‘bandaid’ generalization of the molecular zipper model, a classic undergraduate statistical physics problem introduced by Charles Kittel in 1969. This variation will give students useful practice in setting up partition functions and performing basic manipulations with the type of summations that often appear in statistical physics. As such, it is a good resource for instructors looking for new examples, homework problems, or exam problems. The thermal bandaid also provides an interesting approach to modeling 2D physical systems.